The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of apparatus for cutting with the aid of a cutting torch device a continuously cast strand, typically a steel strand, located in a support guide arrangement or support apron of a continuous casting installation by means of a cutting torch device.
During the continuous casting of steel into blooms and slabs, following departure of the strand out of the mold, the strand still containing a liquid core, such strand is supported at a support guide arrangement or support apron. One such typical type of support guide arrangement consists of guide rollers, cooling plates or cooling grids arranged at opposite sides of the strand.
When a disturbance arises during continuous casting, such as for instance metal breakout, mold overflow and so forth, it may be necessary to cut the strand at desired locations within the support guide arrangement, in order to render possible or facilitate the outfeed thereof. The reasons that cutting of the strand within the confines of the support guide arrangement appear to be advantageous are multifarious and can be dictated by the construction of the casting installation or by the nature of the disturbance and so forth.
It is already known to the art, in the case of metal breakouts and the like, to cut or sever the strand beneath the breakout location with the aid of a cutting torch device which must be manually operated. The strand first must cool to such a temperature that the work can be carried out with the hand-operated cutting torch device at the region of the strand. Furthermore, it is necessary to remove the mold and/or a portion of the support guide arrangement in order to obtain the required space or freedom of access needed for carrying out the cutting operation. Cooling of the strand and achieving the requisite accessibility as well as cutting by means of a manually-operated cutting torch device requires, as a general rule, a number of hours in the case of slab castings. With arc-type or curved casting installations the strand located in the strand guide arrangement, due to its low temperature at the withdrawal and straightening machine, no longer can be straightened. In such instances, it is necessary to sub-divide the curved strand portion into a number of sections and to outfeed such in the form of curved strand sections.
Additionally, there is already known in this particular field of technology change devices for changing elements of the support guide arrangement or support apron. These change devices are equipped with a support member movable approximately parallel to the lengthwise axis of the strand and possess devices for withdrawing and inserting such elements from and into the support guide arrangement.